Five Days to Better Parenting
by arisu-the-pink
Summary: [Courtship Universe] Response to a reader request. When Kagome leaves Inuyasha home alone with two toddlers and a newborn, he quickly learns there's more to parenting than sending the children to Mommy.
1. Day One

I want to thank my reviewer **trunksgirl** for this story idea. I've been sitting on it for a while, trying to make time for it as well as develop the plot. The chapters of this fic will probably come out slower than my previous works, because I'm a bit behind at work and need to get caught up.

trunksgirl's original plot suggestion:

"Could you do a fic about Kagome needing a vacation and leaving Inuyasha and his pups to fend for themselves for a week?"

This is a slight variation on that theme, and I hope you all enjoy it :-)

****

Five Days to Better Parenting

Day One.

"You could take Jiro, at least? And Inuko?"

Kagome shook her head, slinging her pack over her shoulder and pressing a kiss to her mate's forehead. "Inu-chan, I already told you Mama's not going to be home all week. Do you really trust Ji-chan with those little terrors?"

"I don't trust myself with them," he mumbled.

She laughed merrily and smoothed her hand over his frowning face. "You should have thought about that before helping make them." She paused in thought a moment before adding, "I'm surprised you aren't trying to push Kano on me."

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "This one just sleeps and eats all day. He's the one I'm least worried about." He glanced down at his youngest son, watching as the three-month-old suckled on his thumb, oblivious to the commotion around him.

"Well, It'll only be for five days. I'm sure you can manage. And," she smiled again, starting toward the door at last, "if worst comes to worse, you can always call on Shippou. I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a hand." She waved, and was out the door before Inuyasha could protest again. With him carrying Kano, Kagome wasn't about to use her trump card. One badly timed sit and the little one would be smothered. Or worse.

Inuyasha glared at the door, willing some force of nature to bring his wayward mate back home where she belonged. What the hell was he supposed to do with his three-year-old and four-year-old hanyous when he had an infant to concern himself with as well?

Growling quietly, he finally gave up his intense study of the hut's entrance and brought Kano to rest in his crib. Kagome had managed often enough, and she was just a human. Surely with his demon stamina he could do just as well, if not better. Yes, he decided, this week would just fly by.

* * * * * 

"Chichi!" Inuko ran up to his father, flinging his arms around the hanyou's legs and clinging for dear life.

"What's wrong now?" Inuyasha sighed as he stared down at his eldest, following his eyes as they focused on Jiro running into the kitchen.

"Jiro's using his claws again!"

The son in question came to a screeching halt, nearly falling on his face as he realized his older brother had taken refuge with their father.

"You're not telling me you're afraid of your YOUNGER brother, are you?"

Inuko sniffled, and nodded. Forget pride, those claws hurt!

"Jiro."

The three-year-old slowly approached the older hanyou, his eyes cast downwards in shame.

"Have you been tormenting your brother?"

He shook his head.

"Really?"

"Iie."

"Liar!"

"You started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"  


"Did no—"

"QUIET!"

Both boys silenced immediately, and Inuko let go of his father's leg to stand a few feet back in fear.

Inuyasha pointed Jiro. "You," he began, "know better than to use your claws on your brothers."

"But Chichi," he whined, "he got Fluffy!"

"That's no excuse. It's my job to punish him, not yours."

Inuko stifled a laugh, and stuck his tongue out at his younger brother.

"And you," Inuyasha turned to his eldest, barely catching the taunt, "are not to torment Jiro anymore. It's the big brother's job to help care for his family, understand?"

Chastened, the young hanyou nodded and pulled a small dog plushie from his haori, tossing it at Jiro. "Here, take it. It's smelly anyway."

Jiro sniffled, hugging the toy to his chest. As soon as it had started, the commotion was over and now the three males were standing silent in the kitchen.

"Chichi, I'm hungry."

Inuyasha bit his lip, and turned toward the kitchen cabinets. He'd been too busy whining to ask Kagome about mealtime, and feared it would be his undoing. Cooking for himself was hardly an issue. He could just warm up some fish on a spit. His picky young sons, however, were another matter.

"How about some deer?"

As one, Jiro and Inuko scrunched their noses in distaste.

"What? Since when do you guys have a problem with venison?"

"Meat's yucky," Inuko declared, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Blech," Jiro agreed.

"Fine. No meat. What kind of demons are you anyway?" He wracked his brain for a solution to the current dilemma. "Carrots? I think your mother harvested a bunch before she left…"

"Eww!"

Inuyasha glared at the two defiant boys, crossing his own arms. Stalemate. "So what, exactly, is your mother feeding you nowadays?"

"Dumplings!" They cried out in unison.

"Dumplings? I don't know how to make dumplings," he grunted in frustration. So, what now? He continued to ponder the situation, hearing the sounds of his sons' rumbling stomachs and feeling his own beginning to twinge. Suddenly it came to him.

Ramen.

To his immense relief, his mate had thoughtfully restocked the shelves before leaving, and it appeared they had enough for all five days, plus a few extra. He'd have to remember to thank her when she got back.

"All right, can my big boys go get water for their dinners?"

Inuko puffed up in pride. "Hai! We can do it." He rushed out the door, dragging a hapless Jiro behind him.

* * * * *

Dinner had gone amazingly well, if you ignored the spilled broth and broken dinner bowl, both compliments of Inuko. Inuyasha quickly sopped up the mess with a rag, conveniently leaving a sticky residue for Kagome. Housekeeping was hardly the work of a demon, after all.

Then it was bedtime. Or so he thought.

"Don't wanna go sleep, Chichi!"

"Too bad, runt."

Jiro narrowed his eyes at the older half-demon, but scrambled under his covers anyway. Across from him, Inuko was biting at his claws nervously.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, what?" He heard the harsh tone in his own voice, and forced himself to calm down before further agitating the hyper young quarter demons.

"Story?"  


__

Oh Kami, anything but that…

"It's late."

"Please?" Inuyasha's eldest fairly batted his eyelashes, turning his best puppy dog look on the elder hanyou. 

"That won't work on me, squirt. I invented that look. Now go to bed." With that, he blew out the candle lighting their bedroom and closed the door, ignoring the whimpers from within the room.


	2. Day Two

I forgot the disclaimer on chapter one, so here it is for all chapters.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all related characters, settings, etc. are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Would that we were all as brilliant as she…

****

Day Two.

Five hundred years and a few miles away, Kagome sat in a dress shop awaiting her turn with the seamstress.

"So I told him," Eri was babbling on to her companions, "that I absolutely refused to get married on some dinky boat in the ocean. My mother would have killed me if I'd agreed to that!"

Yuka and Kagome laughed, nodding their heads in agreement. "You know Kagome," Yuka began, "I always thought Eri would be the first one to get married, and you the last."

Not certain whether to be insulted or merely curious, Kagome's eyebrows raised in question.

"Oh, it's nothing bad," Yuka quickly covered. "Just that, well, you never seemed to have a handle on your man situation back in middle school. Then that 'bad boy' Inuyasha of yours pops out of nowhere and a couple of years later you're married!"

"Speaking of, it's a shame he won't be at the wedding," Eri chimed in. "Aki was really hoping to meet him."

"Yes, I'm sure we could have found a babysitter for the children. I'm amazed you left him alone with a newborn!"

Kagome fiddled nervously with the edge of her bridesmaids' gown, searching her mind for a believable excuse. _Yes, well, I kinda thought the fuzzy ears would freak out the babysitter, _she mentally scoffed. "Believe me, the toddlers are a handful and a half," she finally answered. "But Kano, he's such an angel. Barely makes a peep all night!"

* * * * * 

"WAAAAHHHH!!!!"

Inuyasha ran to the nursery, quickly scooping his normally silent son into his arms and searching him all over for signs of injury. Finding none, he scrunched his eyebrows in frustration and began hopping up and down, hoping the movements would quiet the little one.

"Daddy? Why's Kano crying? Can't sleep!"

"Go back to your room," Inuyasha growled, his patience quickly wearing thin.

"But—"

"GO!"

Inuko shrunk back at the fierce look in his father's eyes, and stumbled in the darkened hallway back to his bedroom. Jiro, somehow, managed to sleep through the commotion. Were babies supposed to be so loud? Kano never screamed like that when Mommy was around, he thought to himself.

Back in the nursery, Inuyasha paced nervously, still rocking his wailing young ningen son back and forth. While Jiro had been colicky for his first five months, Inuyasha recalled Inuko had been a very quiet baby, just like Kano. Unless he got sick, that is. Inuyasha studied the young one, sniffing at the air around him but finding nothing off.

"You chose a wonderful time to start begging for attention, Kano," the hanyou sighed miserably. "Now what's that song your okaasan is always singing you to…"

Three hours and six half-remembered lullabies later, Inuyasha fell back onto the futon he and Kagome shared. In the distance he could hear the village roosters crowing the early dawn, and prayed that his hanyou sons' sensitive ears would tune out the racket for at least another few hours.

He wasn't quite so fortunate.

* * * * *

CRASH!

"Eek!" Inuko ran from the room while Jiro stood amidst a spray of glass shards. Frozen by shock, he didn't notice when his otou came running into the room.

"Jiro!"

"Chichi?"

"What happened here?" Inuyasha surveyed the room, folding his arms into his sleeves in the most menacing pose he could conjure. He could easily intimidate Inuko, but for some reason Jiro never seemed quite moved. Frustrating as it was, Inuyasha would admit – in private moments anyway – that his three-year-old's attitude reminded him very much of his own stubbornness.

The little one continued to glance from the mess surrounding him to the angry hanyou adult towering above him.

"Jiro –"

"Not me."

"Oh, who then?"

"Inuko."

Inuyasha stared him down, searching the boy's face for any sign of lying. He sighed. "INUKO!"

His eldest came timidly into the room, his hands clasped behind his back. "Chichi?"

"What happened here?"

The young hanyou's gaze shifted nervously from his angry father's face to the shattered vase and back again, his voice lost in guilt and fear.

"Well?" Inuyasha's foot began tapping impatiently.

"Broke."

"I can see that." If he weren't so mad, the hanyou might have laughed at the simple answer.

"Was playing wiff the ball."

"In the house?"

"Hai."

"Inuko bad," Jiro announced smugly.

Rounding on his middle child, Inuyasha growled lightly. He swept across the living room with his hand, indicated the various other misplaced items and crushed crayons he was just now taking in. "I suppose Inuko did all of this by himself?"

"Did not!" Inuko shouted, indignant.

"And was Inuko playing with the ball by himself?"

"Iie," Jiro answered quietly.

"Clean up this mess – both of you. I don't want to hear a peep coming out of this room until the crayons are put away and the blankets are in your room. And stay away from the glass, I'll get that myself." After extricating Jiro from the center of the shards, he walked toward the kitchen, grumbling about children and Kami's greatest plague on earth. Down the hall, Kano awoke from his nap and started screaming again.

* * * * * 

"Kami please let him sleep a full hour this time," Inuyasha prayed silently as he laid his infant son back into the bassinette his mother-in-law had gifted them with. After inspecting the living room, he'd sent his older sons to play outside, threatening them with an early bedtime sans dinner if they chose to so much as tap a wall within ten feet of their younger brother.

__

Three more days. Three more days and then Kagome better come straight back with a smile on her face. 

Okay, so maybe it wasn't entirely fair of him, he grudgingly admitted. After all, she dealt with this every day while he and Miroku went off on youkai hunts. Still, caring for the young was women's work, was it not? Inuyasha smirked as he imagined the sitting he'd receive if his thoughts were vocalized around his rather temperamental mate. 

__

Oh yeah, I'd never walk again.

"Chichi?"

Inuyasha was abruptly dragged from his thoughts by the soft, hesitant voice of Inuko.

"Shh! What did I tell you about making noise indoors?" he whispered gruffly.

"Gomen… but… Jiro… got sick."

Blinking in confusion, Inuyasha allowed his eldest to drag him to the kitchen where, indeed, Jiro was heaving a lovely pile of brown-tinted bile.

"What happened?"

Inuko shrugged, scrunching his nose at the offensive smell. "Dunno."

Striding toward Jiro, Inuyasha suddenly guessed the cause of his son's nausea. The innocent looking golden wrapper on the kitchen table sparkled in the afternoon light, and just a small amount of its sweet contents remained hidden beneath.

"You ate your mother's chocolate?!"

Shivering with the aftereffects of his convulsions, Jiro nodded weakly. "Was good, Daddy."

Sighing in frustration, the hanyou silently berated himself for his carelessness. The sweet, a favorite of Kagome's, was lethal to dogs in large doses, particularly the concentrations found in dark chocolate. He'd built up an immunity to small amounts, but while Jiro was technically only quarter inuyoukai, he had no idea what his tolerance was.

A good deal of the offending substance had already evacuated his stomach; that was the first step. What to do next, however, had him stumped. As he searched his mind for something to do, a saving grace appeared in the doorway.

"Oyajii, how're you handling things?" Seventeen-year-old Shippou strode purposefully into the room, taking in the scene around him. "Oi, looks like I got here just in time. I knew you'd find a way to screw up. Kagome's going to be pissed."

"Shut up, Baka. If you can't help, then get out."

Shippou, duly chastened, came to stand next to his adopted father and watched the pitiful Jiro as he continued to cough up small bits of chocolate.

"You fed him chocolate?"

"No," Inuyasha ground out in annoyance, "he helped himself. Though I suppose it didn't help that I left it on the counter," he added silently to himself.

"Well he's already coughing it up, that's good," Shippou noted. "I'll run to Kaede's and see if she can give me some medicine to get the poison out of his system."

"Yeah, you do that," Inuyasha agreed.

"Be back in a bit." 

Waving the kitsune off, Inuyasha pulled his son into his arms and brought him into the living room, laying him onto the couch and checking him over for signs of shock. Other than shivering from the stress, the toddler seemed fine.

He wiped strands of silvery hair from the boy's face, trying to comfort him until Shippou arrived. After what felt like hours, the kitsune returned, bearing a bottle of blackened ash which he called 'activated charcoal' and an empty syringe.

"Kaede said this is what Kagome brought to use when you got into her cocoa that one time," Shippou explained. "You have to squirt some of this in his mouth every three hours until nightfall and then he should be fine." He snickered a bit at his next revelation. "She said it's going to make a huge mess, especially if he spits it up, so… good luck!" Laughing his head off, Shippou almost felt bad for Inuyasha. Almost being the key word. A bigger part of him held barely suppressed glee at the idea of Inuyasha attempting to play nursemaid.

After getting half a dose into the chocolate-thieving boy, Inuyasha quickly discovered just how much of a mess the medicine created. The stuff spread like crazy, covering every suface it touched with a sheen of powdery black that reminded him of Naraku's miasma. The stuff was fast appearing on every surface, even showing up in places Inuyasha didn't remember touching!

Shippou took pity on the hanyou, and retrieved a rag from the kitchen, mopping up the mess wherever it appeared. Jiro finally fell asleep for his noontime nap, giving Inuyasha and Shippou the chance to sit back and relax.

"So what are you doing here anyway? Come to poke fun at me?"

"Pretty much," Shippou answered with a smirk. "Actually, I promised Okaa-san that I'd check in on you. She knew you'd be too proud to ask for help, so I came to see if you needed me. Good timing, ne?"

Grudingly, the hanyou nodded and agreed.

"So what other excitement have I missed?"

"You mean besides Kano screaming all night, the crayon mess on the floor, and some ten dogfights between Jiro and Inuko?"

Shippou's eyes widened, and he laughed softly. "Sounds like you've been having fun."

"I'd rather fight Naraku again," Inuyasha grumbled. A moment of peace settled between them before he spoke again. "How about you? Anything exciting?"

Shrugging, the kitsune toyed with his katana, a gift from Inuyasha and Kagome on his fifteenth birthday. "Not really. Things have been pretty quiet in my neck of the woods. I um," he blushed slightly, "I've been thinking of taking a mate."

"Oh really?" Inuyasha smiled an almost evil grin. "You really should talk to Miroku. I'm sure he'd just LOVE to share some advice with you."

"No, thanks. I think I can handle this on my own," Shippou quickly replied. Kami help him if Miroku caught word of his plans…

* * * * * *

The long day ended as the sun set, draping the world in a dark cloak of night. Having fed himself and Inuko, Inuyasha set about securing the hut for the night, checking in on Jiro who continued to sleep soundly on a futon in the living room. 

"Time for bed, Inuko."

The young boy bit his lip and looked up at his father. "I want to sleep with you, Daddy."

"What did your okaa-san and I tell you about that?"

"I'm too big," he answered sullenly.

"Exactly."

"But Daddy… I'm scared. It's dark!"

"Just like your mother," Inuyasha groaned. "She used to be afraid of the dark too."

Giving a hopeful glance upwards again, Inuko was sad to see his father looking every bit as resolute as he had when he'd answered the first time. The man was not going to budge.

"Read a story?"

"Not tonight. Tomorrow, if you are good."

"But Daddy—"

"To bed. Now."

With a small huff, Inuko dragged his feet toward the room he usually shared with Jiro. Tonight, however, he'd have to fight the shadows alone. With a little sniffle he crawled under his covers and pulled them up tight around his head. No serpent demons were going to find him!

Across the hall, Kano shivered in his sleep. Had Inuyasha known to check, he would have discovered the faint scent of his infant son's first illness.

* * * * * 

vocab:

ningen = human


	3. Day Three

I'm not too fond of this chapter, but any further tinkering won't make it better. Hopefully Inuyasha and I both have better luck with Day Four!

See chapter two for disclaimer.

****

Day Three.

"Kuso!"

The little one was burning up, and for the first time since his own childhood Inuyasha felt utterly helpless. Certainly, Inuko and Jiro had both had their share of minor illnesses in the past, but their blood was infused with his own youkai power. They'd whine, cough, sniffle, and be over it by the end of the day. They'd never even had a fever!

Fumbling in Kagome's first aid kit, he retrieved the ther-mom-e-ter she'd purchased when Sango fell victim to last season's flu, and studied the device intently. Now, how to use it…

A small blue button on the device begged to be pressed and when he did, the tiny gray window beside it flashed zero. Praying that he'd used it properly, he aimed the conical end of the tool into his son's ear as he'd seen Kagome do to Sango. It beeped sharply before he pulled it back and studied the readout. Thirty-eight point eight degrees [102 F]. Kagome had been worried when Sango was running at thirty-seven. Maybe babies were naturally warmer?

__

Don't fool yourself, Inuyasha chided his silly thought, _you can smell the sickness all around him._

Lifting the infant in his arms, Inuyasha rocked him gently, racking his brain for every remedy Kagome had ever used to cure their ills over the past ten winters. Bringing Kano over to the oil lamp in the corner of the nursery, he lowered them into a chair and adjusted the baby for a more intense scrutiny. Kano yawned, shutting his glassy eyes, and Inuyasha took the opportunity to inspect his throat. It was red as fresh blood, and his normally tiny tonsils seemed to have swelled. Perhaps it was a side effect of the wailing he'd been inflicting upon the family, but Inuyasha knew better.

Well, whatever the cause, the child's throat was irritated. In the back of his mind the hanyou was relieved that at least the screaming would likely cease. Sitting back more completely into the comfort of the chair, he pulled Kano up to rest against his naked chest, feeling his son's gentle heartbeat against his own. The poor infant felt like fire personified, but the sun had yet to rise and he didn't dare leave his elder sons alone for a trek to the village stream. If only he hadn't let his pride send Shippou away.

The rasping breaths coming from Kano's tiny nose were somehow both worrying and soothing. As Inuyasha became lost in his thoughts, the peace that had fallen over the pair did its magic, and soon enough, both males were fast asleep.

* * * * *

"Chichi, is Kano sick?"

"Hai, so try to be quiet today." Inuyasha shook up the bottle of milk he'd heated for Kano's breakfast and then squirted a small amount onto his arm to test it. A bit warm, but chances were good he'd refuse to drink it anyway.

Fisting an apple wedge in his chubby little hand before stuffing it into his mouth, Jiro piped up, "when Mama coming back?"

"Two more days, Jiro. Now finish your breakfast and be quiet."

The boy glared at his father, "want Mommy now."

"Too bad. She'll be back in two days."

Inuko stuck his tongue out at his younger brother and grabbed a piece of apple from his plate. "I got your apple!"

"Give it back!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Give it back!"

Shaking his head fervently, Inuko popped the wedge into his mouth and grinned.

"Chichi!"

"QUIET!"

The boys dropped their heads, eyes suddenly intently focused on their breakfasts. Having located a small blanket for Kano's feeding, Inuyasha left them to their meal in the kitchen, hoping against reason that they could stay out of trouble for the next ten minutes.

"I want Mama," Jiro whined again.

His arm snaking towards his younger brother's plate again, Inuko imitated his father. "Two days!"

Jiro slapped his brother's arm away, deftly protecting the remainder of his breakfast, and suddenly smiled. "I'm gonna marry Mommy."

"Baka, you can't marry Mommy."

"How come?"

"'Cuz."  


"I love Mommy," the quarter-demon responded in determination.

Inuko shook his head. "Daddy married Mommy. So you can't marry her."

Pouting again, Jiro growled. "Daddy's mean. I hate him!"

"I'm telling!"

"So!"

"Chichi!"  


Jiro slapped a hand over his brother's mouth, glaring daggers at him. Annoyed with the obstruction, Inuko bit down on his fingers, nearly drawing blood with one of his tiny fangs. The younger brother shouted, quickly pulling his hand back and waving it in the air. "Bad Inuko!"

"You started it."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!" Jiro reached out and grabbed Inuko's ebony forelocks, tightening his hold as he pulled his elder brother forward.

"Stop it!"

"You hurted me!"

"Chichi!"

"Chichi!"

From somewhere in the back of the house, both boys shrunk back as a deep voice growled out in frustrated anger, "JUST SHUT UP!"

* * * * *

Inuyasha was quite pleased with himself. He'd managed to rig up a sling for Kano, so he could carry the infant on his back while he went about his other chores. Given this new freedom, he'd successfully kept the living room clear of crayon bits and toys, and sent the elder boys out to release some of their never-ending energy on the large tree just a few feet from the front door. 

For the first time since Kagome left, he was starting to feel himself getting the hang of things. Now all he had to do was keep the boys out of trouble and fed for the next day and a half and he'd be home free. Perfect.

"CHICHI!!!!!!!"

Then again…

"What?" A sudden fatigue descended upon the hanyou as he imagined the infinite possible reasons his middle child could be calling for him.

"Inu-chan fall down!"

"He fell? Where?"  


"Off tree!"

Quickly checking the ties on Kano's sling, Inuyasha ran after Jiro to find his eldest son lying in a sobbing heap at the base of the old cherry tree. His heart stopped as he noticed his limbs tangled up in what appeared to be rather unnatural angles. The fear ebbed a bit when he got closer and realized it was just his imagination. Still, the four-year-old hadn't made any attempt to move…

"Inuko, can you sit up for Daddy?"

"It hurts, Chichi."

"I know, son, but try to be brave for me."

Sniffling back a sob, Inuko hauled himself to his hands and knees and managed to sit back. Inuyasha sighed in relief, and began inspecting the little one's arms and legs. "Tell Daddy where it hurts."

"Everywhere!"

Okay, change of tactics. "Can you point to where it hurts?"

The boy nodded, tears still streaming down his cheeks, as he began to point to the various abrasions on his arms and legs. Inuyasha wiped away a trickle of blood from some of the larger scrapes, making sure they weren't deep cuts, and began lightly pressing on Inuko's joints, searching his face for any sign of discomfort. Finally assured the little one hadn't broken anything, he hauled him up into his arms, and carried him back to the kitchen to dress his scrapes.

"You can stop crying now, you just got scratched up a bit."

Inuko ignored his father, continuing to sob as the hanyou set out an assortment of colorful band-aids and the antiseptic spray Kagome was so fond of applying to every little scratch her boys received.

Recognizing the bottle, Inuko howled anew. "Not the spray! Please not the spray!"

Inuyasha bit back a smirk, and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were hurt?"

The little boy was quite smart for his age. He stopped crying in an instant. "I'm okay."

"Glad to hear it." He replaced the antiseptic in the first aid kit and instead cleaned off his son's scrapes with a moist rag. He moved to set Inuko back on the ground again when Inuko held up his hands to stop him. "Can I have band-aid, Daddy?"

He'd never understood his sons' fascination with the sticky things. Kagome claimed it was a childhood fashion statement, something akin to his pride in Tetsusaiga. "Battle scars," she'd called them. Removing a few of the adhesives from their box, he handed them to Inuko. "Here, I'll even let you put them on yourself."

"Arigato Daddy!"

"Now TRY to stay out of trouble?"

"Hai!" He scampered off, proudly displaying his prize to Jiro as the two ran toward the sandbox Inuyasha had built for them the previous summer.

__

At least that should keep them busy for a little while, Inuyasha thought to himself. A rasping noise drew his attention back to Kano, and he adjusted the sling to rest against his chest. His fever had subsided for a few hours, but Inuyasha could tell it was returning again. The little one shivered, and the hanyou wrapped his arms around him, rocking them back and forth on his feet.

He'd wanted to believe that Kano was getting better, but with every fever his breathing grew more and more labored. He'd also noticed the infant pawing at his ears, suggesting he might have developed a secondary infection. If it got any worse, Inuyasha realized, he might just have to lug the whole pack to the well.

__

But I promised her, he reminded himself miserably. _I promised I'd let her have this time off for Eri's wedding and I'm not going to take it away from her._

* * * * *

Another evening, another round of ramen noodles. Inuko and Jiro sat around the table, eagerly awaiting their dinners. Reaching up to the cupboards with Kano slumbering at his back, Inuyasha felt his leg buckle beneath him. He grasped, futilely, at the shelves within the cupboard, bringing them crashing down into the buckets of water beneath, along with the rest of the ramen.

"Kuso!"

"Chichi said a bad word!" Inuko giggled.

Inuyasha desperately pulled the packages from the buckets, realizing as he did that it was useless. Water seeped into every package, quickly turning the noodles into mush. The water was clean; they'd be able to eat a few of the salvaged portions for dinner tonight. Tomorrow, however, was another story.

Dividing up the edible packets and pouring heated water over them, he passed the bowls to his sons and sat down for an all-too-small portion of his own. "Looks like you're going to have to eat something else tomorrow night, boys."

"Dumplings?"

What was it with his sons and these dumplings? He'd really have to ask Kagome about that when she got back. Turning his attention back to the young ones, he shook his head. "No, no dumplings. We're eating fish or rabbit."

"Yucky."

"Too bad. You're too old to be so picky."

"Don't like rabbit," Inuko complained. "Fish is stinky."

Nodding his head in fervent agreement, Jiro added, "Daddy get more ramen?"

"Sorry runt, but we're out until okaa-san gets back."

This was not the answer Jiro wanted to hear. He stood, stomping his foot in anger. "Want ramen!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to try that shit with me, are you?"

Inuko's eyes widened at the scene playing out before him. Jiro was going to get into big trouble…

"No rabbit! No fish! Want RAMEN!" Stomp, stomp, stomp.

"How about NO DINNER?" Inuyasha roared, pushing aside his own bowl to tower above Jiro.

"FEH!"

"What was that?"

"I HATE YOU, DADDY! You're MEAN!" Knocking over the rest of his dinner, Jiro ran toward his room, his eyes filling with angry tears. "I want Mommy," he sobbed out as he landed on his futon, burrowing his face into the soft pillow beneath him.

Back in the kitchen, Inuyasha stared in wide-eyed disbelief at the darkened hallway. Inuko kept his head down, silently scarfing down his meal while Kano began squeaking in an attempt to cry out his fevered frustration.

Somehow things had managed to go from bad, to worse.


	4. Day Four

Author's Notes:

Sorry! I didn't mean to take so long in getting this out but it's been one thing after another here. I'm going to be moving to a new city in the next few months so I've had to apartment shop. Then I got sick, and work is dragging me down… well, you get the picture.

Anyhoo, here's day four, and hopefully day five will come out shortly thereafter. For those of you who follow my fics regularly, I came up with a new plot idea at long last. This one won't likely be an Inu/Kag specifically, though it certainly will have I/K moments. It's more of a post-Naraku epic. Sesshoumaru will be the bad guy, but for good reason. If I can get the time together after finishing this story, I'll start it. I'm having some trouble sorting out minor details in the new story, so if anyone wants to help I'd be happy to send along the basic plot idea (after you promise not to steal it!) and you can help me make some plot decisions before I start.

Okay, on to the story!

****

Day Four.

If nothing else, Inuyasha had to admit the immune system of a child was a wondrous thing. True, he'd been up almost all night mopping Kano's forehead and cleaning up after his small bout of nausea. Still, the infant's last fever had broken hours ago and he seemed to be breathing easier at the moment. With a sigh of relief, the hanyou let his guard down and tucked his youngest son into the bassinette before retreating towards his own empty bedroom. 

He almost preferred to stay in the nursery. There, he wouldn't sleep alone. Grumbling at his weakness, Inuyasha threw himself onto the futon and closed his eyes. He could smell Kagome's gentle fragrance on the sheets and it comforted him. To his estimation, there were still a few hours left in the night. The last several days had taken an immense toll on his strength. After all, he wasn't that young anymore.

__

Feh, just how old does that make Sesshoumaru? He laughed at the thought.

As his eyes drifted closed, Inuyasha recalled the disastrous dinner earlier the previous day. He'd seen some good temper tantrums in his day – even thrown a few of his own. Inuko went through a rather tiresome period as soon as he'd learned to say "no". But the eldest of the hanyou's sons had never claimed to hate him. Did Jiro truly feel that way? What had he done to make one of his beloved children despise him so?

He'd have to talk to the boy and find out just what made him such a 'mean daddy.' Yawning, Inuyasha pulled the Kagome-scented sheets up to his face, burying his nose in them as he surrendered to sleep. He'd have that talk first thing in the morning…

* * * * *

When the winter's breeze shuffled the trees outside, it allowed a bright stream of sunlight into the bedroom window, flooding the hanyou's eyes with a brilliant red light beneath their closed lids. He squinted, turning away from the unwelcome intrusion into his dreams, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle. In the back of his mind he knew he had to get up from the comfortable futon, but was it really that late already?

He shot up suddenly, realizing it had to be close to noon. Had it amazed him more that he'd managed to sleep through the entire morning, or that his normally boisterous sons had been quiet enough to allow it? 

Inuyasha rolled off the bed and stretched quickly before striding down the hall in search of the children. He stopped into Kano's room, and found the little one still sleeping peacefully, his breathing even and unlabored. He'd need a feeding soon, and – the hanyou sniffed – a changing as well. But that could wait a moment.

"Inuko? Jiro?"

Peeking his head into the boys' room, he found the eldest stacking wooden blocks in the middle of the floor. He peered up at his father proudly. "Chichi, look at my castle! It has two watchtowers, just like Haku's has."

Nodding absently, Inuyasha scanned the room for Jiro. Finding no sign of the boy, he squatted before Inuko, "where is your otouto?"

The four-year-old shrugged, continuing to build up his fortress. "He went bye-bye."

"When?! Why didn't you tell me?"

Blinking at the hanyou's distressed questioning, he put down the block and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Early. You were slee-ping." After a pause he added, "Daddy, you sleep loud!"

Inuyasha hefted his son up, grabbing a nearby cloak and tossing it at him. "Get dressed."

"But I hafta finish my castle!"  


"Later. Right now we need to find your brother." Leaving his eldest to dress himself, Inuyasha began searching the hut, knowing already that the young boy wasn't there but desperately hoping his nose betrayed him.

__

I guess I am a bad daddy, he angrily berated himself while peaking beneath the kitchen table. _I can't even keep track of my own pups!_

* * * * *

Ten minutes later, Inuko and Kano found themselves thrust in Shippou's waiting arms as Miroku and Inuyasha ran off into the forest.

"Where'd you pick up his scent last?" Miroku asked as he scanned the tree line for signs of movement or danger.

"Just south of the house," Inuyasha answered quickly. "I passed it on the way to the village but I didn't want to risk losing the other two so I dropped them off first."

"Wow, you did something intelligent for once."

Tamping down the urge to knock the monk senseless, Inuyasha turned his focus back to the task at hand. The forest once named after him was one of the safest on the archipelago, as demons knew better than to invade Inuyasha's territory. Still, any number of natural disasters or accidents could befall the young one, and his small claws would be of little use against wildlife should a hungry bear cross the three-year-old's path. 

Wanting to continue teasing the hanyou, but more concerned with the safety of his young child, Miroku put distance between himself and Inuyasha, spreading out their searching party. Several minutes passed in silence broken only by the sounds of sniffing and crunching leaves.

"Oi, Inuyasha! This looks like a piece of Jiro's clothing!"

Coming to Miroku's side, Inuyasha caught his son's scent on the small fabric scrap. "Yes, and it's recent," he agreed. The trail led several feet away toward the edge of the forest. 

As they continued the path, going slowly so as not to lose Jiro's scent, Miroku noticed for the first time the depressed slump to his old friend's shoulders. 

"Inuyasha, we'll find him, okay? Don't worry."

"I'm not worried, Bouzu!" Inuyasha stomped forward a few more steps in indignant anger before stopping a moment. "Do you think I'm a bad father?" he asked suddenly, looking off into the distance.

The question, almost too silent to be heard by human ears, sent Miroku into a shocked halt. "Bad father? No, of course not! You provide for your family very well, and they seem to be quite happy and healthy. Why would you even ask that question?"

Hesitating, Inuyasha turned back to the monk, his eyes cast to the ground in grief. "Last night… Jiro called me a mean daddy. He said… he said that he hated me."

A long silence reigned between the two, filled only with the lonely howling of the early winter wind. At last, there was a small snort. Followed by a chuckle, and then all-out laughter. Miroku clutched his staff tight in his hands as he wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Inuyasha, my friend, you are a good one for a laugh."

"Glad to see my son's hatred amuses you," the hanyou spat in irritation.

His amusement subsiding, Miroku took a good look at the expression on Inuyasha's face and quickly sobered. "You're serious?"

"No, I thought I'd lighten the mood with a comedy routine."

Walking the few steps separating them, the monk clasped the inuhanyou's shoulder firmly and peered into his eyes. "Inuyasha, children of Jiro's age always say things like that."

"Inuko never did."

"Just because he didn't say it to your face doesn't mean he didn't think it now and then."

That thought hadn't occurred to him. "But… why?"

"Jealousy, mostly."

Incredulously, Inuyasha jumped back. "Jealous of what?"

"Your relationship to Kagome."

The hanyou blinked, stunned, and then huffed. "Keh, that's crazy. She's his mother, for Kami's sake!"

"Little boys and girls start getting confused at that age. They know that they are male or female, and they are starting to understand that men and women mate. Since the main woman in your son's life is Kagome, it's only natural he attaches himself to her."

"YOU THINK JIRO WANTS TO MATE WITH KAGOME!?"

Laughing again, Miroku released Inuyasha's shoulder and continued to follow their earlier path. "No, Baka. He doesn't understand that kind of thing yet. He just wants to replace you. You're the main competition for his mother's affection. As long as Jiro's in this phase, he's going to be a little envious of you."

The hanyou allowed himself to absorb this information, quickly returning to his search for the young boy. "How do you know all this?" he asked at length.

With a sidelong glance at his friend, Miroku answered, "I have a son too, remember?"  


"Keitaro?"

"Hai. Lasted a good year, until shortly after his fifth birthday. He would grab onto Sango's kimono and refuse to let go all night. He'd cry until she agreed he could sleep between us, and for many nights I would find myself pushed to the edge of our bed and quite… frustrated."

"Jiro's only three," Inuyasha realized with a sudden sense of dread. "Until five, you said?"

Smiling, Miroku shook his head. "I doubt it will last so long. Have patience. Besides," he leered at the hanyou, "Kagome-sama isn't the type of wife to allow her son keep her from her mate."

Bopping the houshi on the head at last, Inuyasha leapt ahead whispering under his breath, "I hope you're right, Monk."

Soon the two men found themselves at the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well stood. Racing towards the small structure, Inuyasha felt the dull dread he'd been suffering rise sharply. If Jiro had entered the well, he could be wandering all over Tokyo by now!

His fears calmed significantly at the sound of whimpering from the wooden structure. Leaping over it to land on the opposite side, Inuyasha squatted before the toddler and searched for the cause of his anguish. He found nothing but puffy red eyes leaking oceans of tears and some grass stains on his clothing.

"Jiro," he scolded in his overwhelming relief, "don't you EVER leave home alone again!"

"Mama!" he merely wailed in reply. "Want Mommy!"  


Sighing at the sting to his heart, Inuyasha pulled the boy into his arms and soothed his hand over his back. "Sorry I'm not your okaa-san, but she'll be back tomorrow. I promise. Just think how sad she would have been if you'd gotten hurt? Do you want to make Mommy cry?"

Jiro sniffled back some tears, peering up into eyes as golden as his own, and blinked. "Iie, Daddy."

"That's a good boy. Come on, Shippou is watching your brothers and probably already going crazy."

* * * * *

"I've never even seen a picture of them, and she has three!" Yuka tipped back a glass of champagne as she finished. 

Ayumi bit her lip, searching her brain for any memory of pictures she might have forgotten. "Come to think of it, you're right. Kagome-chan's had a very strange family life, ne?"

The subject of their pondering returned from the bathroom to sit before her dinner again.

"If you have to powder your nose, I recommend you go now. The line was ridiculous!"

"Kagome-chan," Ayumi glanced conspiratorially at Yuka before turning back to her friend, "why is it that we've never seen pictures of these 'little angels' of yours?"  
  
Eagerly stalling for time, Kagome grabbed at her water glass and downed a huge gulp. _I'd have to be nursing and unable to drink now, wouldn't I?_ She lamented. "I – um – that is – well, you remember the complications I told you about, ne?"

Yuka nodded, her piercing gaze locked on Kagome's face. "So?"

"Well, Inu-chan and I were a little too worried about Inuko dying to take pictures."

"Even after he got better?"

"Hai. I always forget my camera lately."

With narrowed eyes, Ayumi continued to stare at Kagome. "When we were younger you were always the shutterbug, Kagome-chan. You really expect us to believe you, of all people, wouldn't have albums full of baby pictures?"  


"I have a few," she admitted, relieved that the latest round had been recently developed. "Since there were so few of Inuko and Jiro, my mother made sure to get a roll full of Kano."

As one, the women at the table squealed. Ayumi leaned in closely, "do you have any with you?"  


"Hai, I picked them up this morning. They're still in my purse." She leaned down, grabbing the small packet from the side pocket and removing the exposures for her friends' perusal. "Most of them are in the hospital," she explained as she handed half the stack to Ayumi and half to Yuka. "The last four or five we took at home a month ago."

"Oh Kagome, he's so adorable! Looks just like Inuyasha-san."

__

Inuyasha in human form, I suppose, Kagome agreed with a smirk to herself. It was Jiro who truly resembled Inuyasha.

"Any of the others?" Yuka inquired as she switched stacks with Ayumi.

A war raged in her mind as she debated removing the small wallet photo she'd kept hidden away. In it, Inuko and Jiro were dressed as pirates for a small costume party her mother had held at the shrine. The headscarves had successfully hidden their ears and allowed Kagome to introduce her children to the rest of the family. Motherly pride won out, and she removed the slightly tattered photograph from her purse.

"This from the party?"

"Hai," Kagome answered. "Inuko insisted on being a pirate when he and Inuyasha read Pirates of the Caribbean together," she laughed warmly. "They both became mildly obsessed with the idea." The young mother's heart froze as Ayumi stared intently at the photograph.

"Kagome-chan… do Jiro and Inuko have yellow eyes?"  


__

You'd have to notice that, wouldn't you, Ayumi-chan? She sighed. Her own family had been easily convinced that the children had a mild birth defect. Ji-chan claimed it was punishment from the gods for not spending more time on shrine grounds, and her somewhat naïve and overly traditional aunts and uncles quickly agreed.

"That's um, the light," she covered quickly. "See? Inuyasha's are yellow in the picture too."

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right." Ayumi frowned. She'd heard of eyes turning red in photographs but yellow? Well, she'd seen Inuyasha before and his eyes were most definitely violet, so she could only accept Kagome's explanation. Strange camera…

The clinking of a glass interrupted the photo viewing. Kagome quickly retrieved her precious pictures and stuffed them back into the purse, praying to Kami that she'd be off the hook for a long while before they inquired of the children again. Eventually, she knew, she'd have to come up with a better introduction. Hopefully, though, that would be a long way off.

At the head table, a man Kagome recognized as Eri's brother had started speaking. She glanced at her watch silently, and groaned. She missed her family, and had hoped to return in the evening instead of the next morning. It seemed the speeches would never end!

__

Oh well, she calmed herself, _if Inuyasha was having trouble he would have dragged me back long ago. I'm sure everything is going just fine._

* * * * *

Miroku was an excellent father, Inuyasha pondered as he led his small family back to their forest hut. His children – all five but one girls – were so wonderfully well behaved. They adored their father, obeyed him perfectly, and even helped out around the house! Where was he going wrong?

They reached home as the sun was settling over the horizon. Shippou had fed Inuko and Kano lunch during Inuyasha's search, but Jiro and Inuyasha hadn't eaten a thing all day. As though to confirm his suspicions, Jiro's stomach rumbled loudly.

"We are going to eat dinner, men, and then we're going to have a little talk."

The two eldest looked up at him questioningly, Jiro's face holding an expression of apprehension. Was he in trouble?

Kano simply yawned, and snuggled further into his father's arms. Inuyasha brought the infant back to bed and then joined his other sons in the kitchen. The boys sat silently around the table, awaiting their father's words.

"We're still out of ramen," he began quietly. "and that's not going to change until your mother has a chance to go shopping. I don't know how to make dumplings, and I'm not going to let you go hungry or snack on junk food. So tell me, if you were me, what would you make your two sons for dinner?"

"Oden?"

"I think we're out of those noodles too," he answered Inuko.

"Rabbit stew…" Jiro suggested quietly.

"I thought you said meat was yucky?"  


"It okay."

"Inuko?" He turned to consider the eldest son praying he, too, would have a change of heart.

"Can I eat mine without the meat?"

"Will you eat the vegetables?"

"Hai."

"All right then," he smiled, a fang peeking out from the corner of his mouth. "Rabbit stew it is."

The boys helped their father put dinner together, Inuko fetching water from the container outside while Jiro picked bits of parsley from Kagome's herb garden. After an hour they'd put together a delicious stew, and eaten it in a comfortable silence. Dunking the bowls in water to soak, Inuyasha returned to the table and sat before his sons.

"This has been an… eventful… four days, hasn't it?"

Inuko nodded, watching his father and younger brother exchange looks. The four-year-old didn't know what exactly was wrong, but he could smell his father's concern and Jiro's fear. 

"You boys miss your mother a lot, huh?"

"Hai," Jiro answered silently.

Inuyasha smiled warmly at the two, and sat back, folding his arms behind his head. "How about I make a deal with you?" At their sudden attention, his grin broadened. "You help Daddy clean up the hut, and we'll all camp out in my room tonight, okay?" The boys sat up straighter, eyes glistening with joy at the prospect of snuggling in the scent of their long-absent mother. Inuko's mouth moved to ask a question, but he thought better of it.

"Yes, Inuko, I'll even read you a story."

"Arigato, Daddy!"

"All right then, you boys gather all the toys into your room, and I'll do the dishes. We'll work on the cleaning tomorrow early in the morning."

"Hai!" they chorused, running immediately to their tasks.

It was late, and Inuyasha knew they'd tire out quickly so he rushed through the dishes and then came to assist them in gathering the playthings they'd missed before helping them dress in their pajamas and settling them into bed. Jiro took up Kagome's usual position, and Inuko snuggled up on the hanyou's opposite side, his favorite book in hand.

"Pirates of the Caribbean? Again?"

Inuko nodded eagerly, but Jiro growled. Sighing, Inuyasha scooted so his back was against the wall and he pulled both boys to him, settling them into his embrace. He tossed the book to the foot of the futon and closed his eyes. "How about I tell you a special story, instead?"

"Special story?"  


"Yes, this one isn't in a book. At least, not yet. It's a story about your ojiisan."

"Ji-chan?"

"That's your great grandfather," Inuyasha chuckled. "No, this story is about you father's father, the inutaisho."  


The boys' eyes widened in awe. They'd never even considered they had another grandfather. Kagome's was the only one they'd ever known. As they settled again, Inuyasha took a deep breath and began to search his mind for the perfect story to tell.

"One hundred years ago, in the Valley of the Rock Demon, my father led ten of his greatest warriors to storm the youkai's castle. The trip from Inutaisho's castle to that of the rock demon took fifteen days, but the battle lasted much longer…"

* * * * *

Vocab:  


Haku = uncle


	5. Day Five

I'm horribly sorry for delaying this fic for so long. I had a decent idea, or so I thought, and as I was writing it, I decided it sucked. Then writer's block set in (for this fic, anyway), real life got in the way, and ... well... you know how it goes from there.  
  
But, at long last, here it is. Hope it was worth the wait!  
  
**Day Five.  
**  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
She stepped into the hut, glancing around the immaculate living room.  
  
"Inuko?"  
  
Moving into the kitchen, Kagome could smell the remains of a delicious breakfast, though the sink was clear of dishes and the table wiped clean.  
  
"Jiro?"  
  
The miko's heart began beating faster, her palms sweating with nerves. Where were they? Had something happened to her family? As she began walking toward the bedrooms, she heard a squeal of laughter and the sounds of children babbling excitedly. The voices were nearing the hut at a fast pace.  
  
"Uncle Souta did Sankontessou?"  
  
"TRIED," Inuyasha corrected. "That's a inuyoukai trick. Your uncle Souta is human, like your mother."  
  
"Can I do it?"  
  
Lowering Kano to the ground, Inuyasha stepped away from the trio of young boys and chose a safe target. "Watch carefully but stay back," he warned. Then, as his sons stared in awe, he raced toward a hapless tree, screaming, "SANKONTESSOU!" The formerly stately oak split down the center, falling into two large halves with a resounding thud.  
  
"Wow. Daddy's strong!"  
  
Inuyasha wiped his claws off on his haori, brushing off stray wood chips. "Your turn."  
  
"Me?" Inuko blinked in surprise.  
  
"Jiro too," he affirmed. Glancing around the clearing, he rested his gaze on the old woodpile by the hut. He chose two medium-sized logs, standing each one right side up, and stood back. "Flex your claws, keep them strong, and just throw your body into it."  
  
Inuko bit his lip, and ran stumbling toward the first log, slashing at it with all his might. "Sankontessou!"  
  
A small chunk of wood flew off the side, landing several feet away. He sighed, turning back to his father. "I did it wrong?"  
  
"You just need practice," Inuyasha replied. "One day you'll split it in half, and then we can find something bigger." A soft growl from beside him brought the hanyou's attention back to his other son.  
  
Jiro's face was scrunched in concentration, a slight tinge of red leaking into his golden eyes. After a steadying breath, he raced at the other log, leaping with amazing grace for a three-year-old before coming down on the wood and slashing it almost in half.  
  
Inuyasha gulped, quickly hiding his shock. "That was... good..."  
  
Jiro beamed, wiping off his clothes in imitation of his father.  
  
The inuhanyou males were brought out of their spontaneous lesson by the sound of clapping from the hut's entrance. "My, my, such strong boys I have!"  
  
"Mommy!" Once appearing quite fierce, the young ones' faces quickly returned to the innocence of childhood, racing to hug their mother. They spoke simultaneously, each spouting stories of their last few days, punctuated with laughter and light growling.  
  
"... and Daddy spilled the ramen and Jiro ran away..."  
  
"... Inuko took Fluffy..."  
  
"... but Jiro used his claws!"  
  
"BOYS!"  
  
They were suddenly silenced by the stern voice of their father, each jumping back several feet to gaze at him with subdued respect. Inuyasha strode over to Kagome, a sly smile eking its way out from his feigned seriousness. As he finally stood before her, he winked at his sons. "She's only human, give your poor mother some breathing room."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, but leaned in for the warm kiss her mate offered. "Only human, hm?"  
  
"Yes, but an amazing specimen." He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively before removing Kano from his sling and passing the infant over to Kagome. "They're right, though. We need more ramen."  
  
Sighing with good humor, Kagome smiled and walked back into the house. "Then I guess it's a good thing I brought some back with me."  
  
The little boys cheered, racing in behind her to see what else their mother had brought back from the well. She settled Kano into his infant seat before opening up her bag and removing several small packages. "I have some new crayons, a couple of packages of juice mix, some chocolate pocky—"  
  
"I'll hang on to that," Inuyasha grabbed the snack from her, placing the package safely out of reach. At her questioning stare, he shook his head. "Trust me, you don't want to go there."  
  
She shook her head, chalking it up to the undoubtedly long list of mysteries she had yet to uncover from her absence. Moments later all the souvenirs were unpacked and the boys, with their young, non-existent attention spans, were running outdoors once again. A pair of warm arms encircled her from behind, and she shivered when the familiar, masculine scent of her mate surrounded her.  
  
"We missed you." His voice was husky with a need that sent chills down her spine. He dipped his head to capture her earlobe in his mouth, nipping at it lightly before attacking it with soft licks and kisses.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
"What?" His mouth moved lower to find amusement at the base of her neck, nuzzling the spot where it met her shoulder and thrilling at the faint hint of her arousal.  
  
"Kano is right there!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So!?"  
  
The hanyou sighed, and backed away from his mate to regard her with an indifferent stare. "He's a baby, what does he know?"  
  
Kagome blushed, but stepped back a bit nonetheless. "You're insatiable, you know that?"  
  
"It's been five days, what did you expect?"  
  
Okay, so she had to concede that point. Most of the time the hanyou accompanied her through the well, so this had been a particularly long time apart. Indeed, if she was honest with herself she was eager to spend some alone time with the half-demon as well. Still, it was barely noon and the children, with their demon hearing and noses, were only a few feet away...  
  
Inuyasha grunted, seeing the conflicted look in Kagome's eyes. He knew he'd lose this battle, and decided to give up and save face.  
  
"Later," she promised when he passed her on the way outdoors. "And it'll be worth the wait."  
  
The tone in her voice heated his blood deliciously, and he tossed an answering wink at her before joining his sons outdoors for some good old roughhousing.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dinner was over, the dishes cleared, and the sun quickly setting below the horizon. Inside the cozy hut Kagome, Inuyasha, and the pups were looking at the wedding pictures Kagome had developed earlier that morning.  
  
"Mama pretty," Jiro announced happily.  
  
_My poor baby has no sense of style_, Kagome thought ruefully as she glanced at the photo of her and Ayumi posing in their gaudy dresses. "Thanks sweetie."  
  
Inuyasha seemed to share her opinion, his face scrunching up in distaste when the picture made its way into his hands. "What on earth did you do to deserve that punishment?"  
  
Kagome glared at him, snatching the picture away. "Shut up."  
  
"Shut up! Shut up!" Inuko chanted happily. He knew better than to repeat the more colorful language he heard, usually from his otou, but every now and then he could sneak in a little copycat behavior.  
  
The last of the pictures had been passed when the grandfather clock on the far wall began chiming the hour.  
  
"Bedtime!"  
  
Inuko and Jiro pouted, but a look from Inuyasha sent them obediently stalking toward their bedroom. Kagome tucked in Jiro while Inuyasha settled in the elder brother.  
  
"Story?"  
  
Kagome sighed. "Mommy's a little tired tonight, sweetie. How about tomorrow?"  
  
"I'll get it," Inuyasha offered, picking a random book from the bookshelf and settling himself on the floor between their futons. Kagome sent him a look of such warmth and admiration that the hanyou felt compelled to loosen the collar of his haori.  
  
The miko walked slowly to the bedroom, enjoying the feel of being back at home with all of the comforting scents, sounds, and belongings. She stopped in on the baby, relieved that he was deep asleep and peacefully snoring. If what Inuyasha had told her was any indication, the little one was still worn out from his illness and would probably sleep through the night.  
  
She'd managed to change into her sleeping kimono, brush her teeth and hair, and wash her face before Inuyasha finished reading the hanyou children to sleep. She found him sitting on their futon, staring somewhat somberly at the floor.  
  
"Daijoubou?"  
  
"Kagome, am I a bad father?"  
  
The young woman's eyes rose, confused, and she gently sat beside him. "Whatever brought this on?"  
  
"I told you Jiro ran off for a bit..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What I didn't tell you is that he ran off because he wanted to find you. He said he hated me."  
  
Kagome laughed quietly for a moment before realizing just how deeply affected her beloved husband was by the child's offhanded outburst. She wrapped an arm around him, offering her warmth and support. "Kids say stupid things all the time, Inuyasha. You have nothing to worry about."  
  
"Maybe... but still, I don't really know how to cook, I make a huge mess of things, and I'm not the most patient person—"  
  
Kagome held in the amused snort bubbling its way up. Instead, she settled for something more comforting. "When I came home, do you know what I saw?"  
  
The hanyou shook his head, still staring listlessly at the floor. Kagome knelt down before him, pulling up his chin to gaze at him fondly.  
  
"I saw three healthy, happy children being loved by a man they obviously adore. If that's not a good father, I don't know what is."  
  
Inuyasha blinked at her in silence for a moment, finally allowing a soft smile to rise to the surface. "I am a good dad, aren't I?"  
  
Kagome laughed, and reached up to give him a hug. "Just don't get a big head about it."  
  
"Keh." Quicker than she could react, Kagome found herself being flung over his shoulder and pounced upon. She gasped from the shock, but recovered quickly at the feel of his lips stealing kisses from her own.  
  
"Someone promised me a night worth waiting for," he reminded her ardently, his earlier grave thoughts dismissed entirely.  
  
His mate rolled her eyes, the smile on her face betraying her. "Animal."  
  
"And you love it, too," he smirked. He liked being a good father but... he liked being a good husband even better. 


End file.
